Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Sweet 16 and Zombies

My son turns 16 in a couple days.  Funny, how I remember being 16.  My birthday wasn't the greatest but the year was a blast!  I spent the summer with my best friend in England.  We stayed with a man who had been my mom's penpal since 1942 and his wife.  He was a poet, she a teacher and there my BFF and I became budding writers.  It was that summer I wrote the base story that would launch the Soul Series 20 years later.


As a teen I loved reading and writing.  I am so glad I kept all my old journals.  If you know a teen, please encourage her/him to keep a journal and to read often.

One of my favorite erotic romance writers has a young adult book coming out and I'd like to take a moment to shamelessly promote it.

Coming September 25th, 2012 from Gena Showalter!  Alice in Zombieland.


She won't rest until she's sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.


Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that's all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.


Her father was right. The monsters are real.


To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn't careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies.

Amazon * Kindle * Barnes * Nook * Walmart * BAM * Book Depository with worldwide shipping * Indigo

Saturday, September 8, 2012

ShapeShifter Seductions ~ Fantasy Football Talbot's Peak Style

Originally posted at SHAPESHIFTER SEDUCTIONS by Solara.



Louie glanced around the table. He studied each face and nodded as their eyes met his. He made his way around the group until he reached Gill. Gill shot him a cheesy grin and waved. Louie shook his head, rolled his eyes, and shuffled the cards in front of him. “You’re probably wondering why I called this meeting.”

Five heads bobbed along with Gill’s. So much for a talkative bunch. Bettina’s head body guard Biff, who decked anyone who actually called him that, pulled his cards to him. Louie had introduced him as Guido, who knew his sainted Italian Grandmother married a southern California surfer and insisted her grandson carryon her maiden name as his middle one, as a safety precaution. Next to him sat Hadley who snarled every time Guido looked his way. Lobos and bats couldn’t quell their animosity all the time. Good things the boys had agreed a friendly rivalry wouldn’t hurt their reputations.

Opposite Gill, sat Hadley’s second in command, Ranger. The fool wore a park ranger’s hat like it was a permanent part of his head. Louie kept dealing and counting. The fourth of their group grunted and messed with his cards. Porker knew when to keep his head down and his mouth shut. Mary’s mother had done a number on him recently with her demands about making an honest sheep out of Mary. Being a were pig wasn’t easy. Then there was the fifth. How Bettina had talked her way into this Louie still wasn’t sure. She played cutthroat poker. He hoped she remained calm and didn’t make blood bets.

Gill picked up his cards one by one. He gave a low whistle, winked at Louie, and turned his cards over. The squirrel gods were smiling on him tonight. “Explain the rules again Louie.”

Louie smiled back at Gill. “Thank you for asking. It’s football season, my friends.”

Grunts and nods followed. Louie carefully laid the undealt cards on the table. “We’ve got humans coming in to watch the games. They’re gonna bet on the outcomes. Gill and I are attending gambler’s anonymous meetings thanks to our local squirrel wrestling event a few months back.”

Three heads shot up as Louie finished his last remarks. Eyes narrowed as they gazed at Gill.

Bettina rapped on the table. Everyone turned to face her. “Hear Louie out. I am backing this.” She flashed her fangs and went back to examining her cards.

“Thank you Bettina.” Louie cleared his throat. “In your hands are football trading cards. The rest of the deck is other player’s cards like those you have. Gill, you came up with the basic idea for this. Please elaborate.”

Gill gulped. He grabbed his beer glass and downed a hefty portion of his acorn beer. He rubbed his lips together, inhaled, and sent a few quick prayers heavenward. “All right. We’re forming a fantasy football group.”

A few titters and snorts sounded. Gill shoved his chair back and rose. “Rattigan’s patrons want to mix in with the locals from the towns close by. They’re human for the most part. So what better way to get a conversation started and mixing happening in a natural way? Males and some females like football.”

Louie held up the deck. “I’ve given you each the number of cards equal to the starting line up for a team. This is your team. We’ll toss dice and see who goes next to draw to fill in their roster. There’ll be cards left over. As the season goes on, you can trade or bench players. Some of you may work out trades. Each week one of you will play a wild card match against Rattigan’s team.”

Murmurs grew in volume as the men looked at their players. Bettina glanced at her cards and leaned back grinning. Louie glanced around the table again. “Since Bettina is the only female present, she represents Rattigan’s. I’m playing with the rest of you for fun.”

“So where do the patrons come in,” Hadley asked.

“You have something common to discuss with them. You’ll watch the games and talk, maybe even cheer together. And. . . .” Louie shot Gill a harsh look.

Gill slumped back into his chair. “Yes, Louie. There is no hard-core betting. No cash, no credit cards, nothing that can be traced. That means gents and lady, only nuts, pretzels, popcorn, and buying a round for the bar is permissible tender.”

Gill let go a deep sigh. He wasn’t cut out to be anyone’s bend over boyfriend, except maybe Melinda’s while they watched the Friday night game.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Weekend Gang!

Football season officially starts. Thus fall is in the air. Be safe as the weather changes and the last of summer fights to hang on before letting fall take over.

Hope you enjoyed this week's flash. Figured Talbot's Peak could use a new sport or two. Maybe next week I'll have the sand castle contest figured out to continue Jackson and Abebi's story.
Until then, share a few good books with your spice and loves,

Solara
~~~

Books by Erotic Romance Author, Solara Gordon, can be found at ~ bookstrand.com/solara-gordon ~

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Ten Guidelines for Co-writing



Two long-time Romance Writers Who Behave Badly got together last year, and from that frolic came a story, “Sophie’s Rogues,” which officially released this week. One of the big questions we get all the time is "What’s it like to co-write?" Well, we’ve got the answer to that, by way of Ten Guidelines for Co-writing:

1.       Get yourself an awesome and unflappable co-writer. Proceed to annoy, bother, and ultimately flap her. (Note: This isn’t a guideline I can really attest to as I don’t think Christa ever once flapped. The whole thing was like a staring contest. That I lost. – viv)
2.       Come up with a good versioning process. Nothing’s more frustrating than adding your bit to the master doc ... and then having it get overwritten or accidentally deleted or lost. Dropbox is great for sharing master docs, but you’ll probably want versions even there.
3.       Don’t expect everything to go smoothly, but don’t be surprised if it actually does.
4.       Agree on the basics beforehand: POV, setting, characterizations, theme, end-state...
5.       ...and then proceed to break as many “rules” as possible, knowing that your partner is going to save you from looking like a dork.
6.       Share all your ideas, even if you think they sound lame or unfeasible. Co-writing by its nature offers a great fast-track through brainstorming. Can’t hurt to take advantage of that.
7.       Nail down your process. Some co-writers pick a character each and then exchange POV-centered scenes. We used a more linear and organic process: one of us would write until she was stuck, then the other would pick up and unstick the whole thing.
8.       Write to your strengths. The truly awesome thing about co-writing is that you have a whole other set of strengths – your co-writer’s. The best co-written stories showcase the best of both writers.
9.       Allow yourself to have fun. Solitary writing can begin to feel like work after a while, but when you add another writer into the mix, it’s suddenly a social event, a grand experiment. A party. So go ahead and indulge a bit.
10.   Write with someone you trust and respect.
Christa, this has been the awesomest part of my writing adventure so far. And yes, I did just use a non-word. You may red-ink me now. –viv





---
Cross-posted to Viv's blog


Monday, September 3, 2012

Do Ebooks Need Book Covers?

I, for one, get so excited when I get a new book cover. It's like Christmas. The other day I read where someone wondered why ebooks needed covers and suggested they do away with them altogether. (gasp, the horror of it all)
What would you think if you saw this image on a book cover? Old house, spooky, ghost story maybe? Contemporary about a couple fixing up a house and falling in love? The title has a lot to do with what our minds assume as well, but without the image, it would prove to be more than difficult. They went on to say that the covers for print books are to pull readers in or 'hook' them. Well I believe they do the same thing for ebooks. I can't imagine any type of book without a cover. If you find a print book without a cover it means it's a 'dead' book that has been supposedly destroyed and no one made money from that copy, not the author or the publisher. Now I have an image of all of these 'dead' ebooks lurking in my head- not pretty! Authors, cover artists and publishers spend many hours dreaming and implementing book covers. I've seen covers make or break book sales. I received a cover once that didn't have anything to do with my story. Luckily my publisher agreed and had them change it for me. When I see a coming soon book cover I anticipate what the cover will look like. I know when I find a print cover I like, it usually gets me to buy the book. Now, looking from the other side of the coin. I do know a few epublishers who agree with this theory. Torquere Press does not create covers for all of it's sips or short stories. They have a standard cover that is used over and over again, no people or objects that related to that specific story, but something that identifies it as a short with that publisher. I know another publisher, Logical-Lust, that uses a real picture of the author as the cover for shorts. All they have to do is add the title and author's name, very economical. I actually kind of like that idea as an author and a reader. I have one publisher who creates book covers, but then doesn't include them on the actual book that you buy. It was sort of a disappointment to me when I opened the first book, so I can't imagine not having one at all. Would you rather buy a book, possibly a bit cheaper, with no cover at all? (And I'm addressing print and ebooks alike here) Does the next wave of the future exist with no book covers?

Sunday, September 2, 2012

A.J. Best releases her first book, Forgiveness

I love finding new authors and A.J. Best is one I'm happy to have found. Her very first book released in June of 2012.
Blurb: When the wires of communication get crossed and tangled, is love enough to bring everything back into balance? Mary is prepared for the anniversary of a lifetime. Ten years of wonderful memories fill her mind. She can’t wait to see what the next ten will bring. When her plans for early morning seduction fail, her mind jumps to worst case scenarios. Joe’s attention, focused elsewhere, may be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Will he be able to come up with a good reason for forgetting their anniversary? As the day continues, will the answers Mary finds leave her in tears? Will she find the next ten years dreams shattered before her? Only Joe holds the answers to the questions her heart asks.

~This lovely story depicts a married couple who find life getting in the way of love. Mary, feeling ignored, jumps to a heart-breaking conclusion. Joe, stressed and over worked, can't communicate when she won't listen. Will these two remember why they married ten years ago? Or call it quits and go their separate ways? It's all about forgiveness. A.J. Best brings these characters to life by putting them in a situation many of us face daily. I can only hope that her next book is longer. The cover is fantastic and the editing spot on. Keep an eye on this one!

Buy Link for Forgiveness

Visit the A.J. Best website

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Release day: "Sophie's Rogues" (whee!)


Well, as of today she's out there bare nekkid for anybody to look at.
Good luck, Sophie-girl.




and Barnes and Noble

Merry widow Sophie, Lady Atherly, and her love have made a game of shocking each other with their wanton encounters.  Sebastian is currently in the lead, but she has a plan to even the score; a threesome with her friend and previous lover, Edward.  Sophie still entertains fantasies about Edwad, and the idea of having both men at once promises pleasure beyond anything she's experienced before.  Sebastian is ready to play along, but with one condition: that Sopie submit completely to the two roues' commands...

And here's a free-read prequel of sorts,
in case you wan an intoroduction to Sophie's world.
 


 
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